World Surf League: Maui Women's Pro Kicks Off at Honolua Bay in Hawaii

The 10th Stop on WSL Women's Championship, Maui Women's Pro kicked off at Honolua Bay in Hawaii on November 30 in four-to-six foot (1.5 - 2 metre) waves.
The final event of Women's Championship watched whether currently Jeep Leaderboard No. 1 Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) would clinch her first World title or not.
In Round 1, Malia Manuel (HAW), Carissa Moore (HAW), Silvana Lima (BRA), Tyler Wright (AUS) and Lakey Peterson (USA) advanced directly to Round 3. Especially, Silvana Lima showcased a good tube riding and earned 7.5 points.
Sally Fitzgibbons was 3rd place in Heat 3 and moved to elimination Round 2. But she was defeated by wild card of this event Brisa Hennessy (HAW) in Round 2.
Brisa Hennessy showed an excellent 8.50 (out of a possible 10) to take the lead from Fitzgibbons in the dying minutes of the Heat. While, Sally Fitzgibbons caught only one wave, getting 6.67 points. At the point, World title's door almost closed for Sally Fitzgibbons.
In Heat 4 of Round 2, 6-time World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) defeated Laura Enever (AUS), followed by she took down Lakey Peterson and Brisa Hennessy in Round 3.
Stephanie Gilmore got an opportunity to clinch World Title. If she wins this event, she will be 7-time World Champion.
Also, Tyler Wright and Courtney Conlogue can each clinch the Title by winning the event.

Brisa Hennessy said.
“Honestly I have no words. “I’m just extremely humbled. Sally [Fitzgibbons], I’ve looked up to her for so long and it was just an honor to surf against her. I think it was the wave, but it definitely feels really good just to get those numbers from this panel and I’m really happy. I want to be on the CT more than ever and I’m excited to give it all I have, and just to be here with my heroes, I’m just soaking in that.”

Stephanie Gilmore said;
“I’ll never forget winning my very first World Title here and I just could not believe that it finally happened. It was one of the greatest moments in my career so far. That was heartbreaking to watch Sally [Fitzgibbons] go down and it was just one those things. I’ve been in that position before where I’ve lost chasing that World Title, and it still went my way in the end, but it’s like getting stabbed in the neck basically -- it was really, really tough. With regards to the World Title, the pressure is mounting, but I feel like the pressure is on the other girls and I’m just kind of hanging on the edge at the back. If I can sneak up and do my thing, we’ll see what happens. I love the stress and seeing people crack, and I love seeing people shy. I think that’s what World Title races and the last event are all about -- it’s pretty special to be here.”

Sally Fitzgibbons said;
“It’s such a tough set of circumstances just sitting there at the end and in my head I had that vision you get in the movies where that wave comes. I really felt it was going to happen, but it didn’t. I committed everything. I did my best this year. I trained the hardest I could and prepared, and that’s just the situation I was given. I feel like I’ve got what it takes now to really just absorb that for what it is. I’m proud of myself and my team at the end of the day, and it was up to the ocean at the end, but it wasn’t my day.
I was just proud to be an Aussie in the mix, and the others are surfing extremely well. Whoever takes it out, they truly deserve it. Everyone was in the mix coming into this event and I knew it would be close. I really wanted to go all the way, but it’ll be on for next year, no doubt.”